Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Merchants' Gate CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a New York City community supported agricultural program that brings affordable, healthy organic produce to urban residents. This volunteer-run organization is a great way for city dwellers to stay connected to the land and help small organic farmers from NYS doing what they do best. Merchants Gate CSA in partnership with Norwich Meadows Farm, a NOFA-NY certified farm, supplies produce to several CSA groups in New York City, including the Union Square and East Village Greenmarkets.

Summer/Fall CSA normally runs for 22 weeks beginning in June. Each week the farm delivers fresh, local, organic vegetables to be picked up on L3 near the 11th Avenue entrance. Members collect their food during the designated pick-up time on Wednesday evenings.

Merchants’ Gate also donates any leftover food to the Office of Community Outreach and Service Learning to distribute to campus community members.

HOW DO I JOIN?

Registration for each Summer/Fall Session opens in February and closes on March 31st each year. For the latest registration information and pricing, please visit the Merchant’s Gate CSA website at http://merchantsgatecsa.org

HOW MUCH PRODUCE WILL I GET?

The amount of produce received each week will vary. Typically a share will compromise of enough organic produce to feed 2 people for the week. Each share contains 5-8 different items which vary by season. The Merchant’s Gate CSA also offers optional fruit and egg shares.

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF CSA MEMBERS?

Members sign on for the entire harvest season which begins mid-June and ends mid-November. Since the CSA is a community endeavor and entirely volunteer-run, members must commit to volunteering for at least four to six hours throughout the CSA season, either by helping to unload the delivery truck or working at the weekly site distributions.

Where can I get more information about the Merchant’s Gate CSA program?